Stringer holder



June 29, 3965 C. F. TOFTE, JR

STRINGER HOLDER Filed Oct. 51, 1965 Char/e: ff Taf/e, /r.

INVENTOR.

BY W 0, Z /lbzw ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,191,827 STRINGER HOLDERCharles F: Tofte, In, 6203 Abington Way, Houston, Tex.

Filed Oct. 31, 1963, Ser. No. 320,496 8 Claims. (Cl. 224-7) Thisinvention relates to new and useful improvements in a stringer holder.

It is an object of this invention to provide a holder for stringers onwhich fish are retained by a fisherman, such as wade fishermen.

It is another object of the invention to provide a stringer holdermountable on the belt of a user which will receive and tightly hold astringer from which a stringer may be quickly and easily removed withouthaving to manually manipulate any mechanically movable part or untiecumbersome knots.

In wade fishing, both hands of the fisherman are employed in handlingthe rod and reel and the fish, when caught. The stringing of the fish isa difficult task and many strings of fish are lost by hasty andimperfect securing of the stringer to the belt of the user. It is anobject of this invention to provide a stringer having no manuallyoperable mechanism and onto which a stringer may be quickly and easilysecured, safe from loss and convenient to the hands of the fisherman.

It is another object of the invention to provide a stringer holder asabove described having means for mounting same on the side of a boat.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation tocertain novel features of construction and operation more particularlydefined in the following specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the device, in use, mounted on afishermans belt.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the device, showing astringer mounted thereon in dotted lines.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional end view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3,and

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view of the device as attached to aboat.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1designates a spring wire member bent to form the outer framework of thedevice, and the outer clamp members 2, 2 which are inclined laterally asat 3, 3 and bent outwardly in an arc as at 4, 4. An intermediate bar 5is welded to the top of the frame 1 and extends between the outer clampmembers 2, 2, said members 2, 2 abutting the bar 5 beneath the bends 3,3. The belt mount consists of a continuous section of wire bent to formthe parallel side members 7, 7 which are welded to the framework 1 andthe extending end members 6, 6 form loops to receive the belt of theuser.

In use, the device is mounted, on the belt of the user, the belt beingpassed through the loops 6, 6 and positioned as desired on the belt 8. Astringer, as 9, is grasped by the user at a point near the free end, andformed into a loop which is passed over the projecting ends 4, 4 of themembers 2, 2, and drawn downwardly, clamping the ice stringer in thearea between the intermediate bar 5 and the members 2, 2 adjacent thejoinder of the members 2, 2 with the intermediate bar 5.

When it is desired to remove the stringer, the user pulls upwardly onone side of the projecting stringer and then on the other, readilyreleasing the stringer from the device. The spring wire employed in theconstruction of the device may be easily adjusted by manual pressure totighten or loosen the degree of clamp on the stringer.

When it is desired to mount the device to the side of a boat, a pair ofclamp members 10, 10 are anchored to the inside wall of one side of theboat, 12, with the raised and extended ends 11, 11 of the clamp bars 10,10, extending over the bars 6, 6 and with the free end of theintermediate bar 5 pointing downwardly.

While the foregoing is considered a preferred form of the invention, itis by way of illustration only, the broad principle of the inventionbeing defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a stringer holder, a continuous wire framework bent to form asubstantially inverted U-shaped member and again bent to form outwardlyinclined clamping members within the U-shaped portion, a rigid baranchored longitudinally to the framework and extending between saidclamping members to maintain a turn in a v stringer engaged by saidclamping members and means for retaining the framework on thebelt of auser.

2. In a stringer holder, a continuous wire framework bent to form asubstantially inverted U-shaped member and again bent inwardly andupwardly to form clamping members within the U-shaped portion, a rigidbar anchored to the framework and extending longitudinally between saidclamping members to form a wedge anchorage for a stringer and means forretaining the framework on the belt of a user.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 wherein the means for retaining theframework on the belt consists of a continous wire retainer anchored to"said framework on the opposite side from said clamping members, havingparallel side members and outwardly extending end members.

4. In a fishing accessory, a continuous wire framework bent into aninverted U-shaped form with the terminal end portions within theU-shaped portion, the said ends of said framework forming yieldableclamp members, said clamp members being bent laterally forming astringer receiving area and being outwardly arced at their free endsfrom one face of the framework, and an intermediate bar anchored at bothends to said framework and positioued between said clamping members toform a bight member over which a stringer may be tightly clamped.

5. The device defined in claim 4 having a rectangular belt receivingmember anchored to said framework and having its longitudinal endsoutwardly turned forming loops.

6. In an article of manufacture, a rigid spring wire bent to form aninverted U-shaped framework, and the end portions thereof being anchoredand then being bent inwardly within said U-shaped portion and upwardlyforming clamp members, said end portions of said clamp members beingbent laterally above said anchor point forming a stringer receiving areaon each side of said bar and being inclined outwardly from one face ofthe framework at their free ends.

7. In a stringer holder, a wire framework bent to form a substantiallyinverted U-shaped member and the end portions thereof being anchored andthen again bent to form outwardly inclined clamping member within saidU-shaped portion, a rigid baranchored to the framework and extendingbetween said end portions of said clamping members and means forclamping said framework to the side of a boat.

8. In a stringer holder, a continuous wire framework bent into asubstantially inverted U-shape form, the end portions of the frameworkbeing anchored and the ex tended ends outwardly inclined and extendingupwardly within the U-shaped portion, a rigid bight bar mounted on theframework and positioned between said extended end portions and said endportions being bent to form a line receiving area adjacent said bightbar.

Reierences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 188,417 3/77Sanderson 24-261 304,188 8/84 Eastman 54-64 731,327 6/03 Simmons 241311,131,196 3/15 Batchelder 2242 2,93 8,252 5/60 Scheemaeker 24663,052,002 9/62 Lesher 243 HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A STRINGER HOLDER, A CONTINUOUS WIRE FRAMEWORK BENT TO FORM ASUBSTANTIALLY INVERTED U-SHAPED MEMBER AND AGAIN BENT TO FORM OUTWARDLYINCLINED CLAMPING MEMBERS WITHIN THE U-SHAPED PORTION, A RIGID BARANCHORED LONGITUDINALLY TO THE FRAMEWORK AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAIDCLAMPING MEMBERS TO MAINTAIN A TURN IN A STRINGER ENGAGED BY SAIDCLAMPING MEMBERS AND MEANS FOR RETAINING THE FRAMEWORK ON THE BELT OF AUSER.